Monorail wheel



P. S. COMBS MONORAIL WHEEL Dec. 5,1950

v..' Sheets-Sheet '1 f Filed June 22, 1945 Dec; 5, 1950 P. s. coMBs2,532,661

MONORAIL WHEEL Filed me 22, 1945 s sheets-sheet 2 /a aai ETL/29 6 /7 27/R/W/as' IN VEN IOR. PEsKSCZA/z Dec. 5, 1950 P. s. coMBs MoNoRAIL WHEELs sheets-smet s Filed June 22, 1945 IN VEN TOR. SZEKSQ/Vsi BY C PatentedDec. 5, 1950 MONORAIUWHEEL S'BresleySiCcmbs;LosAngelesgalifaeassignon:to

`- Applic ation :I une '22,

`. 2.Clainas.

l i This :invention: relatesltof: a: .monorailgf @system of thesuspendedetypef andlespeciallyitoithe.lshape 1Jand"structureoftheawheelslwhichridei.theanonorail and' -from which' ithe.rolling.'i'stockfl and load to Abei-transported issusp'ended.

f The object-of the Apresent*inventionV isrggenerf ally-1to1improve-:and simplifyzthef :construction and `r`operation@ofiwvheelsi fof '.the; characters described; to provide a wheel for use inconjunction with.l a Lmonorail system? whichwill insure safetyand-:economy underf alli conditionsofv service and speed ;'to 1pro'vide:anwheelewhich' permits 1 perfect naturalbankingJoy-pendulum. action-14when round- -:ir-ig 'curveslandvvhclr is'fsubstantially, free .ffromfrflange'l friction; vibrationyor *slidingmovement.v on--fstraight-wayvtrackslandowhen .rounding curves,'-andl-whichisil-eapablesof taking. curves1of lan -exceedinglysmallnradiuse and further; -to yprovide a-Whee1--'which..tends.at allitimes .togjclimb and center itself with relationutorthe railupon whichGit travels.

:S'Ihe inventiorris `shown. by.-way of. illustration thecaccompanying.'drawings .in which:

ls-"Figllds: a.isidef elevationgof :.a. portion ofthe :zmonorail :andraf. .car suspendedv therefrom;

:rE-ig: 2.-'.is. aniiendcyiew, ofthe. same,A viewed from fthe v.leftof@r llig.'V 1;

.Figxais anfrontviewof-one. form of tower or `standard;thatmay beVemployed :to .support `the lrmonora'il;

fFig.; 4.1is1.an'enlarged View of. the monorail.v and a .portionrofea,wheels riding thereon and 'Figszfis aifplan AView of .acurved-railshowing the position-.assumeduby two wheelsfwhen -roundaingfanurve.

a Referring to.. -thedrawings in ldetail. andespecial1yEigs.-1',;2and3fAindicatesa standard .rail v- `.rveldedsnrl zotherwise secured yto-,a beam. B which Lirrturnyis seoured..to.a.cross-arm C,-.carried.by suitably. spacedestandards lor towers;4 oneAof which i is; indicated at D '(seef Eig. 1 3) ;l Supported .Joy wheels3- riding on. .the track `is -.thegftruclr.v 4'- and AsuspendedV from,thel :truck =by a ';.;pair:.off;hanger. arms-9-s..a car I4 `which lmaybe constructed'fto.,fcarry passengers, freight. or otherwise. 1.Gussetf..braces Il extend cross-wise of the top of the car and Ibeams i3longitudinally thereof. Theseeooperateto form a rigid connectionbetweenthe car and the hanger arms, and also to form a support for al swinggage In whereby pendulum swing or sway of the car when actedupon by windpressure Vor when rounding curves is limited or controlled.

`,`:'=l?ower,-yin the form of an internal combustion ;=;cngine, angelectric motor, or otherwise, to-A drive.

" lthe canjmay be carried vbyfthetruck asindicated Yat l'5i andtransmits power-..to-:the Wheelsa. in :zany suitable manner as by thechainfdrive indicated alla?. v

The invention as previously stated is particularly directed to thewheels 3 and before sub- :mittingxa detailed tdescription .ther-.enfy.it.:is:. de- Asired .to .emphasize .the fact thai-..thetrailn-A :uponswhich.fthe wheels:..travel .isav a.; standard forrneof .i rail. such.as l.employed in. general rail-wayJ service. r fsuchrails.compriseaheadepiortion *l (-see Figee) raiweb lllandlafbase I8.l-In the presentrinstanee let` it kloe 'supposedi thata. standard;thir-tyspound rail is used. If..that.=is.-the case, fit wilLbeffoundy-thatf..the:': upperzface; spres ents?. afxcurvedzosurf ace `5 `ISfandethat thee radius..` ofa. this:curvesjsftwnlve inches. This radius:increasesfwitlelincreasenz-of e size .and weight; of rails,.andaconversely de weases as; the' :rail size'. decreases. s.Theff..exact l radius .bis .not .important,; but it.isjmportantirthatsthe sur- :facev of. theawheel. 3.,:Whiolr1.contacts;or rides;y on A Vthe rail. be cur-Med and-tthatthe: curve: befrcomple-.mentary to. jthe. surfaca ofi:ztlfiefaraileas;y willihereinafterappear.

.Ther curved, upperz-surfacef :l 9; otlthe :rail head 2 represented..byuthertwlelve; Finch; radius .extends from thet'pointczdto therpoint 2Landlno; Lfurther y.f asgthe. oppositevsidesrof.the rail head aresharply rounded off at these points .on-.the` radiusfeindifcated:.at;22. Thetotalewidthff a .thirtygfpound vrail-i headfisapproximately; .one ande elevene six- .te.enths inchesand the;'.portionf; thereon-shaving inthe-twelve: inch radiusiszapproximatelysthreeifths;of,'tl1e total width. The...complementarycurved surface23f=on:.the wheel; Bris extendedrto icoyer..approximatelysthe. fullzwidth of'1.,the' rail .1 headgorgextends. fromthepoint 24'.. tozthe ypoint 25. :.:Fnom-these:points-.thewheelzpresentsean'gu- .larly disposed: annularefaces suclr asindicatedat 2 6 and. 2 'l Land ...thesei facesi '.nally.r terminate; :in35. annularflanges 28'y and 29. Due to-theangularity oft-:thefaces.-z26.. and Zlit may loesaidnthatea frustum yof a cone is formed oneachasideoffthe .centralatrack engaging.y or Vriding surface .V23 of fthezwheel. and'. fthatff. the base :or ;larger;end-of eachfrustum isdisposed; outermost. The angu- ...larfdisposltion :ofthezfacesrZa andr'lisV acute with relatonigto. the,E axis.x ofrwrotatiorr` of. the wheeland in .thisa instance vz-:is :shown;..as :beings about fifteendegreeszvrfitl'rrelation.- to thee a'Xis of, rotationf of the*.Wlfneeliabut the anglais nots critical :and: maytbe moreor. less.

:.Fromiitheiiforegoing it trevident :that lthe ,wheels employedhavean-.annular .rail contacting .fior riding; portion; 23.: disposed:centrally? thereof a: withI crosstsectionali. curvature.: complementarytor; the; `railshead surface @andi-.that said.` .complementary surfaceis slightly;.wider:;thanz..the; rail headrsurface further; that.angularf annular faces 2 l-f -..andi; Zlaare .f disposed on i; oppositesides sof.` :the zfetrack' engaging. portion ...and @that @these .facesterminate :inannular -iangessl and.i 29.

Thezabove :.fstructuralifeatures are: fimportant. 1For instaneaf iifithe complementary -su'rfaeef -on the-'wheelhastl-iesame cross-sectionalcurvature -L as the topsurface" of themrail;dread,i *the Wheelsbecome"=selfi-tracking;or @inv other'` words-'tendiat all times to climband assume a central position on top of the rail, and as the centraltrack engaging portion of the wheel is wider than the complementarysurface on the rail, there would appear to be a pivotal movement betweenthe Wheel surface and the rail surface when the car swings as apendulum, for instance when rounding a curve. That is, it would appearthat the movement of the wheel with relation to the rail surface wouldbe similar to a Ibearing which is partially rotated about a stationaryshaft. If that were the case, there would be actual lateral slidingmovement between the wheel surface and the rail surface which wouldresult in heavy friction, wear and vibration, but that is not the caseas the wheels are rolling over the surface of the rail when approachingand rounding a curve and the pendulum movement is gradual; hence, thewhe-el rolls from its vertical position to the final tilted positionwhich it assumes due to pendulum action when rounding a curve, thuseliminating wear and vibration.

If for any reason a wheel should tend to leave the rail or assume aposition Where it commences to ride on either one or another of theangular annular surfaces 26 or 21, these surfaces would instantly directthe wheel back to its normal position as they function in a mannersimilar to the crown surface of a belt pulley, that is the crown surfaceof a pulley causes the belt to seek a central position thereon and so dothe angular side faces of the wheel.

The angular side faces serve another function, to Wit, that ofpreventing derailment because if a Wheel should gradually ride outwardlyon one of these faces, the diameter gradually becomes greater therebylifting the truck :i and the car i4 vertically with relation to the railand as there is only a comparatively small vertical clearance betweenthe swing gage l and the lower face of the track supporting beam B, itis obvious that the swing gage will engage the under surface before thewheel can climb a sufficient distance to permit derailing. Of course,there is further protection by providing the annular flanges 28 and 29but these are actually not necessary as the swing gage engages the lowersurface of the beam before these flanges are reached. It is for thisreason that the flanges are actually unnecessary.

In fact, they are only employed to promote l greater safety.

In View of the foregoing, there can be no friction between the flanges28 and 29 and the rail and there is no friction set up when rounding acurve. and vibration commonly encountered in standard railroad practicehave been reduced to the vanishing point. This result is reflected to`all rods, bolts and braces, for instance in the tower structures andsupports as well as in the structure of the rolling stock and otherequipment, thereby reducing power consumption, maintenance andreplacements, not to speak of first cost as the size of structuralmembers, bracing, foundations, etc., may obviously be less under suchfavorable operating conditions.

Due to the complementary curved faces formed between the wheel and railhead, uniform traction is assured at all angles of the wheel withrelation to the track both on straight-way and curves and naturalbanking due to pendulum action when rounding curves and also when actedupon by wind pressure is assured with a minimum of friction, vibrationor sliding movement. The position of the wheelswhen rounding a curveHence, practically all sources of friction is best shown in Fig. 5.Curves of exceedingly small radius may be traversed. The flanges 28 and29 must not contact the sides of the rails when rounding a curve; hence,with curves of small radius the flange width must be governedaccordingly. In Fig. 5 two wheels are shown as rigidly mounted one ateach end of a truck. Obviously each wheel may be provided with a truckand each truck may be swiveled to a main truck and if this is the casethe radius of the rail curve may be further shortened. The wheels may ofcourse be mounted in anti-friction bearings. Their faces may be chillhardened. They may be made of a diameter to suit rails of differentsize, etc., and while this and other features of the invention have beenmore or less specifically described and illustrated, it should beunderstood that changes may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims and that the materials and finish of the several partsemployed may be such as the experience or judgment of the manufacturermay dictate or varying conditions or uses may demand.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

l. In a suspended monorail system of the character described, a railwayrail having a head portion presenting a curved upper surface of apredetermined radius, a load-carrying wheel adapted to ride on saidrail, said wheel presenting a central annular surface engaging thesurface of and of substantially the same width as the rail and saidsurface having a radius substantially'complernentary to the radius ofthe rail surface, and a pair of secondary conical surfaces on the wheel,one on each side of the central surface and forming a continuationthereof, said secondary surfaces being disposed at acute angles withrelation to the axis of rotation of the Wheel and diverging away fromsaid central surface.

2. In a suspended monorail system of the character described, la railwayrail having a head portion presenting a curved upper surface of apredetermined radius, a load-carrying wheel adapted to ride on saidrail, said wheel presenting a central annular surface engaging thesurface of and of substantially the same width as the rail and saidsurface having a radius substantially complementary to the radius of therail surface,.a

pair of secondary conical surfaces on the wheel, one on each side of thecentral surface and forming a continuation thereof, said secondarysurfaces being disposed at acute angles with relation to the centralaxis of rotation of the wheel and diverging away from said centralsurface, and annular anges on each side of the wheel and exterior of thesecondary conical surfaces, said annular flanges being disposedsubstantially at right anglesI to the axis of rotation of the wheel.

PRESLEY S. COMBS.

REFERENCES CITED rThe following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 311,112 Enos Jan. 20, 1885808,183 Alexander Dec. 26, 1905 1,003,950 Rosada Sept. 19, 19111,314,202 Moore Aug. 26, 1919 1,395,559 Davis Nov. 1, 1921 1,780,627Muller Nov. 4, 1930

